Productive Times

With the digital universe more than doubling every two years, by the year 2020, IT professionals will be responsible for an overwhelming amount of information, according to EMC's seventh annual "Digital Universe" research report. So how much are we talking about? Let's put it this way: If a byte of data equaled a gallon of water, it would take just 10 seconds to fill the average-size house today. In 2020, the same scenario would take only two seconds. The report, based on research and analysis conducted by IDC, is full of these and other astounding facts about what's to come, and we've included 10 of them here. "As more and more businesses capitalize on the social and mobile phenomenon, the enormity and potential of the digital universe grows," says Jeremy Burton, president of products and marketing for EMC's Information Infrastructure division. "Businesses are presented with greater opportunities to analyze new streams of data and gain more value from the data they already have. Simply put: Companies of all types are shifting into software-defined enterprises right before our eyes."